Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to paperboard lids for paperboard containers and, more specifically, to an integrated paperboard lid having a slide closure.
2. Background Art
Paper containers are often used to hold consumer items such as cereals, grains, etc. To open the container, often, the consumer simply opens the entire top of the container. This allows access to the inner liner that holds the products. This arrangement is typical of boxes of breakfast cereal. Other boxes include a perforated portion on the side of the box, near the top, or on the top of the box, near the side. The perforated portion, when separated from the box, creates an openable flap that allows access to the interior of the box. This type of construction, which is often found on boxes of grain, soap and other products, usually, does not allow for effective closing of the box.
It would be desirable to provide a container that is convertible from a substantially sealed orientation to a substantially open, dispensing orientation and back to the substantially sealed orientation.
It would also be desirable to provide a container that is capable of remaining in a substantially open, dispensing orientation without obstructing the dispensing of contents contained therein.
It would also be desirable to provide a container that is capable of reclosing from a substantially open orientation to a substantially sealed orientation without the loss of contents contained therein.
These general characteristics of the present invention together with others, will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims and drawings.
The present invention is directed to a paperboard container for releasably dispensing contents contained therein, the container being convertible from a substantially sealed orientation to a substantially open, dispensing orientation and back to the substantially sealed orientation.
The paperboard container comprises a substantially tubular body member having an upper edge defining an upper opening. A bottom is affixed to the body member.
A top member substantially corresponds in shape to the shape of the upper opening. The top member has a lid panel extending across at least a portion of the upper opening of the tubular body, a support member mounted to the lid panel, a closure member connected to and movable relative to at least one of the lid panel and the support member, an outer edge having a peripheral shape, the peripheral shape being larger than the peripheral shape of each of the upper edge and the upper opening of the container member.
The top member is telescopically received within the upper opening of the container member, with the upper edge of the container member being rolled up over the outer edge of the top member to seal the top member to the paperboard container.
The closure member is movable from a sealed position to an open position in a plane substantially parallel to the lid panel. The top member is further repositionable to the sealed orientation to substantially reseal the container member.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the container includes a membrane adhered to inner surfaces of the container member below the container top member.
In one embodiment of the invention, the closure member moves from the first position to the second position in a substantially linear direction. In another embodiment of the invention, the closure member pivots about an axis substantially perpendicular to the lid panel axis.
The lid panel has an aperture, the closure member substantially covering the lid panel aperture in its substantially closed orientation.
In a preferred embodiment, the closure member may have an aperture, the closure member aperture allowing the container to be moved from the substantially sealed orientation to the substantially open, dispensing orientation and back to the substantially sealed orientation.
In a preferred embodiment, the support member includes an aperture, the support member aperture being coincident with the lid panel aperture upon attachment of the support member to the lid panel.
The closure member may include a tab member for positioning the closure member between the substantially sealed orientation and the substantially open, dispensing orientation.
The closure member may have a tongue and at least one protrusion, the tongue being capable of positioning the closure member between the substantially sealed orientation and the substantially open, dispensing orientation, the at least one protrusion restricting movement of the closure member within the support member.
In an alternative embodiment, the lid panel may extend substantially across the length of the upper opening of the tubular body and has an aperture extending therethrough, the closure member including a panel having a length substantially less than the length of the upper opening, and is positioned atop the lid panel and operably configured to slide therealong, from the sealed position over the aperture, to the open position longitudinally displaced relative thereto, and the support member being a flexible elongated tongue connected at one end thereof to an end of the closure member, and at another end thereof, to the lid panel, such that the support member rolls upon itself, as the closure member is moved from the sealed position to the open position.
In another alternative embodiment, the lid panel may extend across substantially less than the entire length of the upper opening of the tubular body and is affixed at one end of the length of the upper opening, the closure member including a panel having a length substantially less than the length of the upper opening, positioned atop the lid panel and operably configured to slide therealong, from the sealed position over the aperture, to the open position longitudinally displaced relative thereto, and the support member including a flexible elongated tongue connected at one end thereof to an end of the closure member, and at another end thereof, to an end of the lid panel, the support member further including a transverse fold line at a position substantially midway between its ends, and further including a tab member for grasping, such that upon grasping and upward pulling of the tab member, the support member folds upon itself, as the closure member is moved toward the lid panel, from the sealed position to the open position.
The closure member may alternatively include a twist lid for pivoting the closure member between the substantially sealed orientation and the substantially open, dispensing orientation. The twist lid may be semi-circular.